It is well known to use a trailer in conjunction with a motorized vehicle or a motorized vehicle by itself to transport a boat to a distant place for launching and recovery. Traditionally, the launching or recovery of a boat from or onto a trailer has involved backing the trailer into the water to the point where the boat would float free of the trailer. Normally, this would require that the wheels and the bearings of the trailer be exposed to the lubricant-diluting and often corrosive action of the water.
With respect to a device used to allow a boat to be transported in the bed of or on top of a vehicle, such as a pick-up truck, this normally involved complicated and potentially hull-damaging mechanisms and/or guides to assist in the placement or removal of the boat.
Examples of the prior art known to the present inventor include:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,586,485 granted to Schroeder, Feb. 19, 1952, which discloses rollers for loading and unloading the boat, which rollers may be retracted such that the boat rests upon a bunk during travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,496 granted to Geil, Oct. 15, 1957, discloses a boat trailer wherein the boat is actually mounted upon a second trolley unit which rolls outwardly relative to the trailer frame until the trolley and supported boat are in the water for launching or, in the alternative, in the water for recovery.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,058,352 granted to McDowell, Oct. 16, 1962, discloses a marine railway wherein a semi-permanent railway track is laid from dry ground to a position beneath the water and a boat is carried upon a dolly to and from the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,583 granted to Meyer, Feb. 23, 1965, discloses a car-top boat loader and carrier wherein a rack is pivotally mounted to the bumper of the car, and through the use of a telescopic extension and rollers, is moved to a position in contact with the ground such that the boat may be launched or recovered.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,221,899 granted to Gronlund, Dec. 7, 1965, discloses a boat support disposed adjacent the water's edge. The support is constructed so that it may be tilted to launch the boat located thereupon.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,292 granted to Jacobs, Jan. 4, 1966, discloses a boat ramp disposed adjacent a body of water wherein the boat is pulled onto the structure supported by keel contacting rollers and then the ramp is pivoted about a point approximate the center such that the boat is lifted out of the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,343,696 granted to Morrison, Sep. 26, 1967, discloses a self-loading boat carrier wherein the boat is pulled onto a device pivotably mounted to the top of a vehicle wherein the boat is supported by keel rollers and a pair of short bunks and the device is pivoted upwardly to place the boat on top of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,644 granted to Cook, Nov. 19, 1968, discloses an apparatus to be mounted on the top of a vehicle such as a pick-up truck including a ramp-mounted carrier to which the boat is secured and then drawn up onto the truck-mounted ramp.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,800 granted to Robinson, Dec. 29, 1970, discloses a boat carrier and launcher for a pick-up truck wherein the device is mounted in the bed of a pick-up truck and includes a secondary frame movable with respect to the main frame, allowing the device to extend outwardly permitting the launch or recovery of a boat and the placement upon the pick-up truck, extending over the cab thereof, for transportation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,874 granted to Graf, Jun. 28, 1981, discloses a boat support and launching device which comprises a ramp positioned on shore with one end in the water and a boat is supported at its keel by a series of rollers and includes spaced outboard rollers to maintain balance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,866 granted to Slown, Mar. 14, 1972, discloses a series of ramps enabling a trailer-mounted boat to be pulled up onto the back of a pick-up truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,081 granted to Schladenhauffen, Jan. 2, 1973, discloses an apparatus for loading a boat onto the top of a pick-up truck or the like which includes a pair of removable ramps upon which the boat is slid to its resting position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,002 granted to Pihlgren, Oct. 22, 1974, discloses a pair of ramps and a winch-type structure allowing an owner to bring a trailer-mounted boat into the bed of a pick-up vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,580 granted to Fluck, Jul. 15, 1980, discloses a loading and support rack for carrying and launching a boat from a pick-up truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,788 granted to Sutton, Jan. 23, 1981, discloses a pick-up mounted device wherein the boat is supported upon bunks or bolsters and is then pulled to a position overlying the bed of the truck. A pivotable support member is pivoted upwardly and forwardly, moving the boat to the position overlying the cab of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,316 granted to Daniels, Dec. 24, 1985, discloses a unique trailer frame which is slidably adjustable upon the wheel carriage to adjust for load conditions and further discloses a roller-supported device permitting the carriage of a boat or the like.